A fuel hose nozzle for filling a tank of, preferably, a motor vehicle with liquid fuel, in particular for filling tanks of motor vehicles with liquefied petroleum gas has a valve and an end fitting adapted to fit with the filler neck of the tank being filled. Liquefied petroleum gas here means, in particular, propane, butane and other mixtures. Manually operated fuel hose nozzles are normally used for filling fuel tanks with liquefied petroleum gas; these nozzles are connected to the tank filler neck in such a way that they are sealed against liquid and gas leakages.
There is no uniformly standardized fitting between fuel hose nozzles, on the one hand, and tank filler necks on the other hand. This is the reason why to date variously configured fuel hose nozzles with different connection fittings have been manufactured. In Europe, for example, there are three different coupling types or fittings that are not compatible with each other: namely, the ACME 1¾″ screw thread, the Italian DISH claw coupling and the bayonet coupling. The EURO coupling that is standardized according to EN 13760 is introduced as a fourth type of coupling or fitting between fuel hose nozzle and tank filler neck, and is not compatible with the other three types of couplings or fittings. Manufacture and testing of the differently configured fuel hose nozzles that accommodate the various fittings is complex and associated with undesired requirements. These differently configured fuel hose nozzles must usually also be operated in different ways, which may result in operating errors, thereby causing safety concerns. This is a critical issue, in particular, because in many countries the drivers of the motor vehicles must handle the filling of their fuel tanks themselves. Known fuel hose nozzles have the further disadvantage that, after suffering mechanical damage, in particular to the valve insert, they no longer provide sufficient sealing tightness. Moreover, when the fuel hose nozzle is detached from the tank filler neck, often the quantities of liquefied petroleum gas that can escape in the environment are quite voluminous.